Middle East

The US is seemingly determined to continue a low-intensity civil war in Syria, backing the opposition forces, Stanislav Byshok, a political analyst at the International Monitoring Organization CIS-EMO has told Radio Sputnik, commenting on the recent deadly attack by the US-led coalition against pro-Damascus militiamen in Deir ez-Zor province.

Political tensions are on the rise in Israel as the anti-corruption investigation into the Prime Minister is reportedly entering its final phase and may result in the forced resignation of the country’s long-standing leader.

The pro-government Syrian militiamen have come under attack by the US-led coalition while they were conducting an operation against Daesh terrorists north of the city of Deir ez-Zor. The information about the incident contradicts US claims that the Syrian militias attacked Washington’s allies.

ST. PETERSBURG (Sputnik) - Over 100 missiles have been fired from the Russian warships since the beginning of Russia's anti-terror operation in Syria, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy Adm. Vladimir Korolev said Thursday.

In a telephone conversation on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan agreed to enhance cooperation between Russian and Turkish armed forces, as well as intelligence services in fighting terrorism.

Recent strikes reportedly carried out by the Israeli military in Syria have led Damascus to accuse Tel Aviv of effectively aiding the terrorist forces in the country, and seek help from the UN to put an end to these attacks.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsia) and the Turkish Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) have struck an agreement which paves the way for the deliveries of Russian Ka-32 helicopters to Turkey, Rosaviatsia said on Wednesday.

Centcom announced that US-led coalition forces in Syria had opened fire at pro-Syrian government forces "in defense" of Syrian Democratic Forces headquarters. Damascus has yet to comment on the attack.

Human Rights Watch has accused Iran of executing at least three child offenders in January 2018. Iran is a signatory of an international treaty that prohibits the use of the death penalty on offenders under 18, and HRW has called for them to put a stop to such executions.

Two new videos have surfaced online, one allegedly showing jihadist militants firing on what is thought to be the Russian Su-25 strike fighter that was downed over Syria on February 3. The other shows an interview with the militant who claims to have shot the plane down. The Russian MoD has yet to comment on the authenticity of either clip.

ANKARA (Sputnik) - Ankara expects to improve relations with Washington after US National Security Advisor Herbert McMaster and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson complete their upcoming visits to Turkey, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s spokesman said Wednesday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Nearly 750,000 children in the Iraqi city of Mosul are having difficulty accessing basic health care services, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said in a press release on Wednesday.

ANKARA (Sputnik) - The issue of restoring contacts and ties between Syria and Turkey is not on Ankara's agenda and such proposals are unrealistic, Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said on Wednesday.

The Syrian militants from Jabhat al-Sham, also known as the Nusra Front, are attempting to derail the peace process in Syria's de-escalation zones by squeezing the moderate opposition from there, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.

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